Business Informatics at FERNFH: A Degree Program for the Digital Future

Digitalization can’t be stopped, but we can shape it. The Bachelor’s program in Business Informatics at FERNFH demonstrates what a modern degree program can look like: flexible, personalized, and closely aligned with the challenges of the digital future.

Business Informatics: Where IT and Business Meet

Today, companies are looking for people who understand both worlds—people who can not only operate IT systems but also use them strategically. The Bachelor’s program in Business Informatics (WIBA) at Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH fills exactly this role.

Over the course of six semesters, students develop skills in digital transformation, data and information management, software development, and digital business, always with a focus on real-world business practices. The degree: Bachelor of Arts in Business. The cost: 363.36 euros + ÖH fee per semester, thanks to federal government funding.

What makes this program special is its flexibility—on two levels.

First, regarding the study plan: Students tailor their academic path from a wide range of elective courses. In addition, there is a customizable curriculum that allows students to earn credit for courses from other degree programs, micro-credentials, or even volunteer work. The result: Students thus have 1.2 million times more options for designing their study plan than there are possible combinations in the 6/45 lottery.

Second, regarding location: You can study from virtually anywhere. In Austria, at least one person in 84% of all districts has studied WIBA at FERNFH. This is a clear indication that this program knows no geographical boundaries.

AI, Digitalization, and the Issues That Really Matter

What topics are of greatest interest to business informatics students today? The answer is clear: artificial intelligence—not as an abstract technology, but specifically in their day-to-day professional lives. This is evident not least in the topics students choose for their bachelor’s theses. Understanding AI from the perspective of business informatics and knowing how to apply it effectively in a business context is one of the most in-demand skills in the industry, and this is precisely what is reflected in the bachelor’s program.

“Ideas for tomorrow don’t emerge from yesterday’s educational approaches. That’s why we offer flexible options that allow students to bring diverse perspectives to business informatics, including those from other fields of study. Only in this way can graduates develop a deeper understanding of the complex challenges of the future and think critically and creatively about the world.”

Prof. (FH) DI Dr. Martin Staudinger, Program Director for the Bachelor's Program in Business Informatics

A degree program that is reinventing itself

Since the program’s 10th anniversary, Program Director Prof. (FH) DI Dr. Martin Staudinger and his team have consistently refined the educational model, making it more personalized, more practice-oriented, and more forward-looking. A particularly visible result of this transformation is the Thinking Ahead Conference.

Where Distance Learning Meets the Professional Conference

On-campus sessions in distance learning programs often have an image problem: they’re seen as a mandatory requirement that students simply have to get through. WIBA has deliberately challenged this perception and replaced the first on-campus phase of the semester with a format that not only challenges students but also inspires them.

The Thinking Ahead Conference takes place at the start of every semester and combines academic content with the energy of a real professional conference. It features keynote speeches on current topics in business and technology, hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, and a dedicated stage for the students themselves: In the “Pitching My Idea” track, they can present their own digital business ideas and discuss them together.

Networking as part of the degree program—not just a bonus

What sets the Thinking Ahead conference apart from traditional in-person events is not just the format, but the philosophy behind it. Distance learning does not mean studying alone. WIBA students meet, exchange ideas, discuss current developments, and in doing so, learn what a professional conference really is: a place where knowledge is not only imparted, but also explored further together.

For students who are studying while working and are often already well established in their careers, this offers real added value. Even while they are still in school, they gain insight into the issues shaping the industry and build connections that last long after they graduate.

What makes FERNFH unique

The Thinking Ahead Conference is currently the only event of its kind at FERNFH. It exemplifies what distance learning can look like today: flexible, interconnected, practical, and offering real added value for everyday professional life.

If you'd like to get a sense of what Business Informatics at FERNFH is all about, the application period for the winter semester runs until July 12, 2026.

Apply now and learn more: www.fernfh.ac.at/fernstudium/bachelor/wirtschaftsinformatik